Elevator-door-operating mechanism



Dec. 18,1928.

H. C. WALDMAN ELEVATOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISH Filed Aug-1:4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .ZNVENTOP'E 25,/ WHA/mao.

TTORNEYS Devn 18, 1928-. 1,695,988

H, c. WALDMAN LEVATDR DOOR OPERATING MEUHANISI Filed Aug. 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 01" digg 5 ,E

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H. C. WALDMAN ELEVATOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 4, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented"`Dec. 18, 1928;

UNITED STATESl HEBMAN' C. 'WAL'DMABL OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELEVATOR-DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application tiled August 4, 1927. Serial No. 210,562.

rlfhis invention relates to elevator door operatin mechanisms of the type that comprise a oor operating member mounted on the car or cage of the elevator and adapted to be engaged with any one of the doors of the elevator shaft, and an electricallyoperated means on the car for moving said member in a direction to open or close the door, the part with which said door operating member co-operates either being connected directly to the door or combined with the door in such a way lthat it virtually forms a part of the door.

@ne object of my invention is to provide a door operating mechanism of the general type mentioned, that is inexpensive to construct, reliable in operation and of such design that the door o erating member will move automatically into engagement with the part of the door with which it co-oper ates when the operator in charge of the elevator car manipulates the switch that closes the energizing circuit of the means which imparts movement to the door operating member in a direction to open the door.

Another object of my invention is to provide an elevator door operating mechanism of the general type mentioned, which is equipped with means for preventing the door from being subjected to an excessive shock or jar when it is engaged by the door operating member during the operation of opening the door.

Another object of m invention is to provide an elevator ear that is equipped with two independent mechanisms for operating different doors located at the same level, usually at opposite sides of the elevator shaft in which the car travels, an electric motor on said car, and means under control of the operator in charge of the car for enabling said motor to be used to actuate both of said mechanisms or to actuate only one of said mechanisms while the other mechanism is at rest or in an inactive condition. l

Another object is to provide an elevator car which is equipped With an electricallyactuated door operating mechanism of the general type mentioned, and a means for preventing said mechanism from vbeing set in operation unless the platform of the car is standing at or in close proximity to the door sill of one of the door openings in the elevator shaft. l

And still another object of my invention is to provide a door operating mechanism for elevator shafts that comprises a locking means for holdinoF a shaft door in its closed position, and a door operating mechanism on the car of the elevator e uip ed with a door operating member, whic after being set in operation, renders said door locking means inoperative and thereafter moves the vdoor into its open position. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure l of the drawings is an elevational view of an elevator shaft door, showing the inside of the door or the side of the door that is presented to the elevator shaft.

Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the latches or locking devices that is used to lock the door in its closed position.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken through a portion of the elevator shaft, illustrating the car or cage that travels in the shaft located adjacent one of the door openings and illustrating the door o erating member on lthe car engaged wit `the part on the door with which it co-o erates during the operation lof opening the oor.

Figure 4 1s a top plan view of the elevator car shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, illustrating another form of door operating mechanism embodying my invention.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the elevator car shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a top plan view on a reduced scale, of an elevator ca .equipped with two separate and distinct door operating mechanisms for actuating ,different doors located at the' same level and arranged usually at opposite sides of the elevator shaft; and Flgure 8 is a transverse sectional View, taken through a portion of an elevator shaft, illus trating a car of the kind shown in Figure 7, namely, one equipped with mechanisms for operating doors located at opposite sides of the shaft.

My invention is applicable to any type or kind of elevator shaft door, safety gate or other closure, and therefore, I have herein used the term door to include all kinds of devices for protecting the openings leading from an elevator shaft to the floors of a building up through which the shaft extends. My invention is particularly adapted for use, however, with fire doors for freight elevators, and accordingly, I have herein illustrated it used for this particular purpose. The mechanism is adapted to be used for operating all of the doors at the various levels past which the elevator car travels, and it can be constructed in such a Way that it will open and close the doors or will simply move the doors into one position, in-which event the return movement of the doors will be efected by gravity, weights or other suitable means. The mechanism is capable of being used with various types and kinds of doors, but is herein illustrated as being used in connection with a counter balanced fire door composed of a top section and a bottom section connected together in r such a way that the opening of the door is effected by moving the top section upwardly and the bottom section downwardly, and the closing of the door is effected by moving the said door sections in the reverse direction.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A and A designate the top and bottom scctions, respectively, of a counterbalanced ire door. Said door sections are connected together usually by chains or other flexible elements 1 attached to the lower edge of the top section A of the door and leading upwardly from the same over pulleys 2 mounted on stationary brackets 3, said chains being joined to rods 4 that are attached to arms 5 which project laterally from the bottom section A of the door adjacent the upper edge of same, as illustrated in Figure 1. Said figure shows only one-halt` of the door, but it will be understood that in practice a connecting means of the kind illustrated in said figure is arranged at each side edge of the door, as indicated in Figure 7. In order to lock the door in its closed position or hold the sections A and A of the door together in s'uch a way that they can not be separated by a person located outside of the elevator shaft, I have provided one section of the door, preferably the top section A, with pivotally\mounted latches or locking devices B constructed in such a manner that when the door is closed, hookshaped portions 6 onl said devices will be arranged in engagement with lugs 7 on the bottom section A of the door, said lugs 7 being preferably. carriedy by the laterallyprojecting -arms 5, previously referred. to, to which the rods 4 are attached. The latches or locking devices B are either constructed in such a manner or are mounted in such a way that gravit tends to hold the hook-shaped portions 6 o same in operative relationship with the lugs 7 when the door is closed. To release the door it is only necessary to swing the latches B into the position shown in Figure 2 by exerting upward pressure on laterally-projecting arms 8 on said latches, thus disengaging the hooks 6 on said latches from the co-operating lugs 7 on the bottom section A of the door, aftpositioned above the lugs 7, said hook! shaped portions will slide over inclined faces 7* on the lugs 7 and then snap into `operative position under said lugs when the top and bottom sections of the door come together. I

The elevator car or cage C is provided with a door operating mechanism, which comprises one or a plurality of door opening members that are adapted to be engaged with parts on the door or parts associated with the door,4and an electrically-operated means for moving said door operating member or members in a direction to open the door. Usually, the mechanism will comprise two door-operating members arranged so as to co-operate with parts located adjacent the side edges of the door. The said parts can be mounted directly' on the door, or they can be mounted on elements that are combined with the door in such a way that they virtually form a part of the door. For example, the parts with which the door co-operating members co-o erate can be carried by the door locking evices or latches B and can be so arranged that when the door operating members engage said parts, the latches B will be tripped or rendered inoperative so as to release the door and permit it to be opened. f

In the orm of my invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4,- thedoor operating members consist of arms D pivotally connected at 9 to vertically-movable carrles D `which travel on vertically-disposed guides 10 on the elevator car C. The vertically-disposed guides 10 and the carriers D which travel on same can be constructed 1n various ways,

so long as said carriers willbe securely mounted on said guides, but will be free to move vertically on same. Pieces of commercially rolled I-beam can be-used conveniently to form the guides 10, and each of the carriers D can be provided with `rollers 11 arranged to bear snugly against and travel over one of the flanges of the yI-beam, which, in effect, forms a verticallydisposed track for the carrier.

Vertical Vmovement is imparted to VVthe carriers D by chains, cables or other llexible elements 12 that pass upwardly from said carriers to drums 18 to which said flexible elements 12 are attached. The drums 13 are mounted on the roof of the elevator car,

iso

75 hook-shaped portion 6 of the latches are or are arran ed at' the upper end of said car and are erein illustrated as being secured to horizontally-disposed shafts 14 provided with beveled pinions 15 that cooperate with beveled pinions 16 on a horizontally-disposed cross shaft 17 which is connected by a worm gearing 18 or in any other preferred manner with an elect-ric motor E. When the motor E is caused to rotate in one direction, the drums 13 will revolve, thus winding the dexible elements 12 onto said drums and causing the carriers D' to move upwardly, and when said motor is caused to rotate inthe oppositedirection, the flexible elements unwind from 'the drums 13, thus permitting the carriers D to move downwardly under the influence of gravity. As is usual with door operating mechanisms of this general type', the armature shaft of the motor E or the shaft 17 lwhich said motor drives is provided with a disk that 2o-operates with a brake band 19 which is combined with a solenoid 20 in such a way that when said solenoid is energized, the brake band 19 will snugly embrace the dislr with which it co-operates, and thus hold the shaft 17 at rest, and when v said solenoid is ile-energized, the brake band ment of the carriers D, an

19 will be rendered inoperative, thus releasing the shaft l?,

The door operating members D are pivot- Y ally mounted on the carirers D in such a manner-that gravity tends to hold said door operating members in a substantially horizontal position, wherein they will co-operate with hook-shaped parts 21 on the door latches B to establish connection between the top section of the'door and the member D. ln order to counteract this tendency of the door operating members D to swing .outwardly, and in order to hold said members in an inactive condition with relation to a closed door in the elevator shaft past which the elevator car C is traveling, ll mount the carriers D on the guides l() in such a way that said carriers are normally positioned in housings 22 on said guides that are provided with portions 22 which co-operate`with the door operating members D to hold said members in an inclined position, as shown in Figure 3, when the elevator car is in motion, or when said car is standing at rest at one of the floors with the door of said floor closed. To open the door, the operator in charge presses the controlling button-23 of a switch that is arranged in the circuit of the motor E, thereby deenergizing the solenoid 20 and causing the drums 13 to start to revolve in a direction to wind the flexible elements 12 onto same and raise the carriers D. The door operating members D swin into a horizontal position, as shown in ull lines in Figure 3, during the irst part of the u ward movethereafter,

said members engage the hook-shaped i carriers D and thus effecting the opening of the door, due, of course, to the fact that the bottom section of the door moves downwardly when the top section moves upwardly. When the top section of the door reaches its upper limit of travel, a art at the upper end of one of the carriers D strikes against and manipulates an upper limit switch 24 arranged 1n the energizing circuit of the motor thus causing said motor to cease operating and also causing the solenoid 20 to contract the brake band 19, whereupon the door operating mechanism will become locked and maintain the door in its open position.

To close the door the operator in charge of the car presses the controlling buttonl 25 of a different switch arranged in the motor circuit, thereby causing the solenoid 20 to be de-energized, and causing the drums 13 to start to revolve in a direction to unwind the flexible elements 12 and permit the carriers D to move downwardly under the influence of gravity, the top section A of the door moving downwardly with the carriers and the bottom section A of the door moving upwardly, due to the connection between `the two sections of the door. After the two sections of the door have come together, the door operating members D move downwardly out of engagement with the hook-shaped devices 2l on the latches B, and

when said door operating members strikel against thev portions 22a of the housings 22, the door operating members D swing upwardly into the inclined position shown in Figure 3, out of the path of the hook-shaped devices 2l on the latches, thus in effect rendering the door operating members inoperative with respect to the parts on the door with which they co-operate. When the carriers D reach the limit of their downward travel, a portion at the lower end of one of said carriers comes into contact with a lower limit switch 26, shown in brokenl lines in -Figure 3, and actuates said switch so as to open the motor circuit and also cause the solenoid 2O to contract the brake band 19.

In order to prevent the operator in charge of the elevator car from opening a door of the elevator shaft when the platform of the car is not in approximate horizontal alignment with the sill of the door opening, the energizing circuit of the motor E is normally maintained in an open condition by a- Ilm switch provided with a movable controlling member 27 mounted on the car in such a way that it will be moved in a direction to close the motor circuit by a stationary shoe or other suitable art 28 on the elevator shaft when the plat orm of the car is in horizon: tal alignment with or in close proximity to the sill of the door opening. Each level or Hoor of the elevator shaft is provided with one of said shoes or actuating devices 28, and accordingly, when the elevator car is in motion, or when said car is standing at rest at such a position that the platform of same is arranged too high or too low with respect to the sill of the door opening, the operator cannot start the motor E so as to cause the door operating mechanism to become operative, due, of course, to the fact that the motor circuit is dead or open at all times, except when the switch actuating member 27 on the elevator car is in engagement with one of the shoes 28.

If desired, means can be provided for preventing the door from being subjected to an abrupt or sudden shock when the door operating members D engage the parts 21 on the door with which they co-operate to effect the opening of the door. In the form of my invention shown in Figure 3, the carriers D are provided with shock absorbing springs 29 arranged between two portions and gf of each carrier that are capable of moving` vertically relatively to each other, t-he top portions of the carrier to which the flexible elelnents 12 are connected being capable of moving vertically slightly with relation to the bottom portions 1/ of the carriers on which the door operating members D are mounted When the members D engage the hooks 21 on the door duringthe operation of opening the door, the springs 29 will yield or compress slightly, and thus cause the members D to pick up the top sec tion ofthe door gradually or without subjecting said top section to a sudden shock.

In Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings I have illustrated another form of my invention, wherein the means that is used to move the door operating members consists of two endless bands or chains 12a that are actuated by sprocket wheels 13 connected to a cross shaft 14a which is connected by a beveled pinion 15a with a beveled pinion 16L on the armature shaft of themotor E. Each of the sprocket chains 12a passes over an idler sprocket 30, shown in Figure 5, thatv is mounted ona movable bearing which can be moved in a direction to tighten the chain by manipulating an adjusting device 31. In this form of my invention the door operating members consist of lugs D10 on the chains 12a arranged so that' when said chains move in one direction, said lugs D10 will engage the hook-shaped devices 21 on the door latches B, thereby tripping said latches to vdisconnected from both release the door, and thereafter moving the top section ofthe door upwardly into its raised position. An upper limit switch 24 and a lower limit switch 26 of the kind previously referred to are provided so as-to automatlcally open the motor circuit, when the sections of the door reach their fully open position and their fully closed position, as previously described. In this form of my invention, the same as in the form of my invention illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the engagement of the door operating members with their co-operating parts on the door is effected automatically during the first portion of the movement of the electrically actuated means that moves the door into its 4open position, and the disengagement of said door operating members from their cooperating parts on the door is effected automatically after' the door has reached it fully closed position. structures are so designed that it is impossible for a person located on the outside of the elevator shaft to open any one of the doors leading to said shaft; it is impossible for the operator in charge of the elevator car to open a shaft door unless the platform of the car is in horizontal alignment or approximately horizontal alignment with the sill of the opening which said door closes; the complete operation of opening any door is effected simply by pressing a switch button and the complete closing of any door is effected simply by pressing a switch button.

In instances where one or more floors of a building is provided with two doors leading to the elevator shaft and located at opposite sides of the shaft, the elevator car is provided with two separate and distinct door operating mechanisms, as shown in Figure 7 which are combined by suitable clutches 32 of any preferred type or kind with a single electric motor E mounted on the elevator car. The motor E is normally door operating mechanisms, but by manipulating the clutches 32, as, for example, by operating controlling devices 33 associated with said clutches (see broken lines in Figure 5), the operator 1n charge of the car can open and close either door by first throwing in the cluth that is associated with the operating mechanism of the selected door and then manipulating the controlling switches of the motor circuit, as previously described.

While I have herein illustrated the door opening members as co-operating with parts carried by latches or locking devices that hold the door in its closed position, I wish it to be understood that my broad idea contemplates having the door operating members co-operate with parts mounted directly on the door and not associated with latches or the like that hold the door in its closed position. l

Moreover, both ofsaidv lll) I claim as new and desire to secure by Let? tersPatent is: i t

l. In an elevator structure, a horizontallydivided shaft door comprising a top section and a bottom section, latches carried by the top section of the door forpreventing the two sections of the door from being separated, an elevator car, and an electrically 'actuated door operating mechanism on said car arranged so as to engage said latches and move them into a position to releasethe bottom section of the door and thereafter cause the two sections of the door to separate.

2. In an elevator structure, a shaft door composed of two horizontally-divided sections connected together in such a way that they will move lin opposite directions to open and close the door, gravity-operated latches carried by one section of the door and adapted to co-operate with parts on the other section of the door to holdl said sections together, an elevator car, and a door operating mechanism on said car constructed s o as to trip said latches and thereafter eX-` ert pressure on same in a direction to effect the opening of the door.

3. -In an elevator structure, a horizontallydivided shaft door composed of a topsection and a bottom section connected together in such a way that the bottom section will move downwardly when the top section is raised to open the door, pivotally mounted latches on the top section that co-operate with parts on said bottom section to hold the door closed, an elevator car, an electrically-actuated door operating mechanism on said car comprising door operating members, and means under control of the operator in charge of the car for causing said door operating members to render said latches inoperative and thereafter exert pressure on the top section of the door in a .direction to open the door.

4. In an elevator structure, a shaft provided with a plurality of'doors `arranged at said doors, an electric motor .on said car,

. and means under control of the operator in charge of the car for establishing connection vbetween said motor and either of said door operating mechanisms.

5. In an elevator structure, an elevator shaft provided with two doorsl locatedat opposite sides of the shaft at the same level or floor, a car that travels in said shaft, two

separate and distinct door operating mechanisms on said car, each of which comprises a pair of door operating members, which, after being engaged with their co-operating door, will move in a direction to open the door, an electric motor on the car, and clutches bypwhich the operator in charge of the car can connect said motor with either of said door operating mechanisms.

6. In an elevator structure, a shaft provided with doors located at different levels, a car that travels in said shaft, a door operating mechanism on the car, an electric motor for actuating said mechanism, and means for preventing said motor from being started unless the platform of the car'is approximately level with the sill of the door which it is desired to open.

'7. In an elevator structure, an elevator shaft provided with doors arranged at different levels, a car that travels in said shaft, a door operating mechanism on said car, ,an electric motor for actuating said mechanism, a switch on the car for holding thev circuit of said motor open when the car is in motion, and devices arranged at the different levels of the shaft for actuating said switch so as to maintain the motor circuit in a closed condition when the platform of the tion when said band is traveling in one direction, and an electric motor on the car for actuating said band.

9. An elevator door operating mechanism, comprising an endless sprocket chain mounted on an elevator car, sprocket wheels over which said chain travels, an electric motor for actuating one of saidwheels, and a door operating member on said chain arranged so as to engage a co-operating part on a shaft door and move said shaft door yinto its open position when aid chain travels in 011e directionand to permit said door to return to its closed position and cause said door operating member to be disengaged from its co-operating part on the door when said chain travels in the opposite direction.

HERMAN C. WALDMAN. 

